Such Great Heights
by fishstic
Summary: Elphaba misses Glinda when she goes off on tour. One day a student suggest she should write Glinda a song.


I wish she didn't have to leave so often. Bad part of being married to a singer on tour. Each time she asks me to go with her it breaks my heart to have to say no. But I can't just leave the children alone. Those poor souls, who'd teach them if I left. Plus, I'd probably get fired if I asked for several weeks off to go with my wife on tour.

"Elphaba," one of my student's says snapping me out of my daze.

"Yes, Clarice?"

"How long is she going to be gone this time?"

"Eight weeks."

Clarice nods thoughtfully. I can tell she's thinking of something, but I'm not sure what. "You should write her a song. One she can listen to while on the road, one that reminds her that you're here waiting for her."

I wasn't expecting that. Not at all. I didn't even know Clarice knew I could sing.

"Papa told me that you sing really well, and I've heard you in here when you don't have a class singing Glinda's songs."

Ahh the downside to my friend's children coming to my school. Their parents know me. "I don't know that I could write a song."

"You never know until you try."

I nod and smile at her. "Thanks Clarice. I think I'll try writing a song for her."

Clarice smiles at me. "If you need help just ask."

"I will." The bell rings right then, which startles me more than Clarice did a few minutes ago. "I guess that means the day is over," I chuckle.

"And I thought us students were clueless sometimes," Clarice chuckles too. "I'll see you on Monday?"

"Of course. Have a great weekend."

Soon it's just me alone in this room. I stare around at the desks thinking, doesn't seem like it was really all that long ago that Glinda and I were sitting beside each other in a classroom just like this. I go sit behind my desk, wanting to get some work done. But as I'm sitting here I can't stop thinking about my lovely blonde singer.

I close my eyes for a moment but it doesn't help, I can't stop seeing her eyes, the way they reflect the sparkle of mine, almost like a mirror when we kiss. Damn, I really need to get some work done, but Glinda would love it if I wrote her a song. I know she would. She loves to hear me sing.

Finally, deciding that I'm not going to get any of my work done, I pull out a piece of paper and start writing.

I let the silence of the room fill my mind as it wanders around random memories of Glinda and I fill my head. I remember when Glinda first found the stairway to the roof of our apartment building. She led me up there in the middle of the night, we sat on the edge of the roof for hours just watching the world go by below us. It all looked so perfect from so far away, it was like none of our troubles, none of the world's troubles mattered anymore. I loved it. Every single moment that we were up there, alone, just the two of us with no one telling us that we had to join the world. What's the point in joining the world anyway? What's the matter with separating from reality every once in a while? Reality sucks most of the time.

I smile slightly and look down at my paper, nothing. I've actually written nothing. I know what I have to do. I'll just have to call her. I know she won't answer, but I'll leave the song as a message she can play on her phone whenever she's lonely.

I dial the number and smile as it rings, I'm nervous. Don't know why, I've been married to her for five years now. When the ringing finally stops Glinda's sweet voice comes over the line, "Elphie I know it's you, no one else has this number, I'm sorry I can't answer right now, please leave your sweet feelings at the tone, and I'll talk to you soon." The lovely tone tells me to start.

"Glinda, I love you so much." Such a cheesy true way to start the message.

"I wrote you a song." Liar. I'm winging it.

"I am thinking it's a sign, That the freckles in our eyes Are mirror images and when We kiss they're perfectly aligned And I have to speculate That God himself did make Us into corresponding shapes Like puzzle pieces from the clay And true, it may seem like a stretch, But its thoughts like this that catch My troubled head when you're away When I am missing you to death When you are out there on the road For several weeks of shows I hope this song will guide you home They won't see us waving from such great heights, "Come down now," they'll say But everything looks perfect from far away, "Come down now," but we'll stay..." The annoying beep tells me my time is up. I should probably listen to the message to see if it sounds good or not. I press the button to hear the message played back to me, but it doesn't quite sound right. I decide to delete the message, but the words are stuck in my head, which is good. I can finish the song, make it a little better and find some other way to get it to her. Instead of the song I leave a much simpler message. "I love you, and miss you so much. I've been thinking about you. My students are thinking about you too. Have fun, and own that stage. I'm proud of you. Did I mention I love you? Talk to you soon, hopefully."

I hang up after I'm sure the message was left.

_Maybe if I write the lyrics I can get the chorus or band director to help me record it with music behind it. _I smile pick up my pen again. I can do this.

~~~Two weeks later

Glinda was fiddling with the radio on the tour bus.

"Glinda I wish you would stop messing with that. What are you looking for?" Her driver said a little agitated.

"I'm looking for a station that isn't playing me. It can get quite annoying hearing my own voice for so long."

The driver chuckled. "Really? Then why do you talk so much?"

"Oh hush you. Just because you're my friend doesn't mean you get to be mean to me."

Suddenly Glinda stopped on a station when the dj said, "amazing new song, by a high school teacher, written for and dedicated to her musician wife. Talk about love. I can't believe someone could love someone so much that they would take the time to write and record and get a song put on the radio just to tell their wife how much they miss her. Here it is folks, the amazing new song, 'Such Great Heights'."

Glinda listened as the music started it was catchy. But when the singing started her breath caught in her throat. It was her Elphie. Singing. On the radio. Putting herself out there for everyone to hear. Just for her. Glinda did something then that she hadn't done in a long time. She took out her phone, and called Elphaba, unwarranted. At a time when she was probably teaching a class. The call went straight to voicemail, but Glinda smiled anyway. "Elphie I can't find the words right now to express how much I love you. Can you hear that in the background? That's you. On my radio. I think I might cry. I never in my life expected you to do something like this. I love you."

"Such Great Heights" copyright of Where I'm Calling From Music BMI, Dying Songs. Sang by The Postal Service.


End file.
